NMR spectroscopy has emerged as one of the most important methods for the solid-state characterisation of polymers. This report gives an overview of the methods and applications of NMR to relevant polymer problems with an emphasis on how NMR can be used for materials characterisation and to understand structure-property relationships in polymers. This report will be of interest to both the chemical and pharmaceutical industry.

The review begins with a discussion of the fundamental principles which underpin solid-state NMR, before leading onto the experimental methods involved, including magic-angle sample spinning, and multi-dimensional NMR. A section is then devoted to polymer structure and conformation, including information on semicrystalline polymers. Polymer morphology is detailed, with a focus on polymer crystallinity and blends. The review is completed with a discussion on polymer dynamics, with particular emphasis on semicrystalline, as well as amorphous, polymers.

Dr Mirau holds the position of Distinguished Member of Technical Staff at Bell Laboratories, AT&T and Lucent Technologies, New Jersey, USA. He has published widely on solid-state NMR and is a member of the American Chemical Society, the American Physical Society as well as the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

A Rapra Review Report comprises a concise expert overview, accompanied by an indexed section containing approximately four hundred references and abstracts compiled from the Polymer Library. These will provide the reader of this report with a valuable reference for further information relating to the study of polymer microstructure using solid-state NMR.